Maury County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee 38474
Saturday, May 6, 1989 2:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER CONDUCTING GROUND TRAINING ALL DAY, THE INSTRUCTOR/DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND HIS TRAINEE FLEW AN EMB-110-P1 TO MEMPHIS TO EXCHANGE AIRPLANES. GROUND FOG HAD STARTED TO FORM PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. AFTER EXCHANGING AIRPLANES, THEY MADE THE RETURN FLIGHT TO COLUMBIA. THEY OBTAINED RADAR VECTORS TO THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE FOR THE SDF AT COLUMBIA. THE THICK FOG RESULTED IN A MISSED APPROACH. DURING THE MISSED APPROACH, THE RUNWAY WAS VISIBLE FROM ABOVE AND THE CREW INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD TRY FOR A VFR APPROACH AND LANDING. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES 2350 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE TOPS OF THE TREES WERE BROKEN 41 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD ALTITUDE. THE TRAINEE HAD BEEN WITHOUT REST FOR AT LEAST 30 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A VFR LANDING IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS THAT WERE BELOW MINIMUMS FOR THE PUBLISHED INSTRUMENT APPROACH AND COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND AFTER ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND BELOW THE PROPER ALTITUDE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/6/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 200
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City MT. PLEASANT
Event State TENNESSEE
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 38474
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport MAURY COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID MRC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 676
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 151 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID BNA
Elevation of weather observation facility 762
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 41
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 9000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 1
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 420
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 971
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 6 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 420
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39134
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:39PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N95PB
NTSB Number ATL89FA142
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name EMBRAER
Aircraft Model EMB-110-P1
Aircraft Series Identifier EMB-110-P1
Aircraft Serial Number 110330
Certified Max Gross Weight 12500
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection May 3 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 44
Airframe Hours 11387
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FLIGHT LINE, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 2468
Aircraft Owner City JACKSON
Aircraft Owner State MS
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 39205
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name FLIGHT LINE, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P.O. BOX 2468
Operator City JACKSON
Operator State MS
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 39205
Operator Code FLIA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MEM
Departure City MEMPHIS
Departure State TN
Departure Country
Departure Time 105
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code MRC
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 5003
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --